The Risen
by MistOfGrayDawn
Summary: Cold is a rogue, raised by a fox. But he wants more than the life of a rogue. When he goes into the forest one winter day, he meets a ThunderClan patrol, and his life changes forever. R
1. Chapter 1

A cold wind whipped across the young cat's muzzle, making him close his eyes against the flurry of snow it brought. He sat on the edge of the Flatface fence, standing guard while his mother gathered food from the gleaming silver cans next to the den. He heard his mother's signal, two kicks of the fence. Cold jumped down from the fence, landing next to his mother, her jaws full of food. His sister Freeze stood close. Their mother jerked her russet-colored head toward their den. The three padded through the snow towards the warm den, wary of other scavengers along the way.

Freeze broke the silence.

"Mother," she asked quietly, "when can we go back to the forest?" Redfang was silent for a moment. Dropping the food at the entrance of the den, she replied,

"Soon enough, little one, soon enough." They entered the den, a hole dug near the edge of a Flatface den of red stone. Cold and Freeze lay down and began licking the ice and snow out of each other's fur. Redfang dragged the food into the small den and lay down with her cubs. That was how she thought of them. Even though they had slim tails, gray pelts and short muzzles, Redfang still loved and protected them like they were her own cubs. Cold had always known he was not a fox like his mother. For eight moons, he was remarkably mature. His misty silver pelt stood out and blended in with the snow at the same time in an eerie way. His eyes were bluer than ice, and just as cold. Thus his name. Cold was not one to play around; he never had been. The white blaze on his forehead was the only break in his otherwise silver pelt. Freeze and Redfang had started eating. Cold stared in disgust at the Flatface garbage. It was all they could find in this bitter frost-leaf. Redfang said it was the coldest one in many seasons. His mother's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Cold, aren't you going to eat?" She asked in her rough fox-bark. It was the only voice Cold could remember ever hearing, besides that of him and his sister. He curled his lip at the trash.

"I'm going out to find something decent," he said, standing up. Neither made any move to stop him. Walking out into the raging snowstorm, Cold parted his jaws to taste the air for prey-scents. Nothing, like usual. Anger formed in the pit of his stomach. He was tired of starving, tired of scrounging for scraps in the desolate place of the Flatfaces. He had heard stories of wildcats living in the forest, huge hordes of them, enough to kill a family of foxes. He sniffed. _I could take those wildcats,_ he thought scornfully, _I'll show them who's best!_ Padding into the snow-covered forest, Cold tasted again for prey. He picked up several faint traces. _It's better than nothing,_ he thought, a bit disappointed, and stalked silently into the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

Following the scent of prey, Cold silently traversed the quiet woods. He stopped, seeing a small mouse sniffing about in the shelter of a fern. Instinctively he dropped into a crouch, as he knew from experience that the charging technique that his mother used would be useless. He had tried it on a rat near a Flatface den one day, and before he had gotten a tail-length, the rat had scuttled away. Cold tried to set his paws down as lightly as he could to stay unnoticed. As he got closer, his mouth watered with hunger. Now he was only a fox-length away.

Pounce! Cold leapt for it, unable to restrain a savage snarl of victory. He brought his paws down on the mouse. It squealed and tried to run for it, but Cold hooked it with his claws and killed it with a paw to the spine. Feeling triumphant, he was about to sink his teeth into the mouse when the ferns rustled.

Acting on instinct, Cold leapt to his feet, fluffing up his fur and releasing a savage bark and snarl. Then he heard voices from the foliage. But to his surprise, soft 'meow' noises carried to his ears. The only language he knew was that of the fox. Then why did this meowing sound so familiar? Cold decided to try it for himself.

"Hello?" He tried to say. He was surprised at how natural it felt. Suddenly a small wildcat came out of the bushes.

"Finally!" He meowed. "You said something we could understand. Our patrol thought you were a fox; with the way you were barking and growling like that." Cold had to process for a moment what the little cat was saying, but he understood. "Are you a wildcat?" He managed to mew. His catspeak was a bit hesitant, but still fluent for a first time. The smaller cat looked slightly confused. "No, I'm a Clan cat. ThunderClan, specifically." He replied proudly. Cold took this in. _These_ were the fearsome wildcats of the forest? He had to stifle a purr of amusement.

Suddenly another wildcat, much larger than the one before him broke cover. He was a bit bigger than Cold, with a snow-white pelt and blue eyes. The white cat hissed at him, fluffing up his fur. Cold reacted instinctively, crouching down and baring his teeth, he emitted a low growl, followed by a threatening bark. The larger cat seemed surprised by Cold's reaction. The smaller cat quickly intervened.

"It's okay, Cloudtail, he's not from ShadowClan. Or any other clan that I can smell." He pointed out. The one called Cloudtail seemed to relax, but Cold didn't let his guard down.

"Duskpaw, he's stealing _our prey_. He's a rogue, and you know he's not welcome on ThunderClan territory."

"But what if he joined the clan?" Asked Duskpaw boldly. Cloudtail sat back, clearly surprised by the question. "I'm sure Firestar wouldn't mind," continued the smaller cat, "and we need more warriors to train apprentices." Cloudtail looked thoughtful, while Cold tried to take in what he just heard. They wanted him to join their clan. This was what he had been waiting for, what he had wanted for so long. A part of him was screaming to say 'yes' and start his new life; but a much bigger part, the part that kept him alive said to think this over carefully. Regaining his composure, he sat up to speak. But Cloudtail beat him to it.

"Would you like to be a warrior of ThunderClan?" He asked seriously. Cold looked him in the eye as he spoke.

"Could I have some time to think about it?" He asked, wanting to think it over carefully before giving an answer. Cloudtail nodded his head. "We will be here for your answer in three sunrises." He nodded back in affirmation. "For now, go back to where you came." Cold picked up his prey, and disappeared into the trees, his mind whirling with excitement and confusion.

**A/N:** How is it so far? Please review and tell me what you think! I will try to update soon, but I'm going away with a friend this weekend. Thanks for reading, and again: please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I'M BACK! Thanks to all who read and reviewed, now on with the story!

Cold was still in shock as he left the forest with his prey. The wildcats wanted him to join their 'clan'. This was an opportunity he couldn't afford to pass up. But as it set in, Cold considered his current situation. His mother would never let him go. She had told him many stories of the wildcats' ferocity when he was a cub, but he was not sure if he should believe them or not, based on his experience with them.

Suddenly he froze, hearing faint pawsteps in the snow. Accustomed to the howling wind, his ears picked up the sound fairly easily. Dropping his catch, Cold took a defensive stance, baring his teeth in a snarl. The icy wind made it impossible to pick up any scents; and in a place like this, you could never be too careful. A silhouette appeared in the distance. Looking closely, he identified his sister's lean frame. Cold relaxed as Freeze approached. She looked relieved to see him.

"Cold!" She exclaimed, clearly relieved. "Where have you been the whole afternoon? Redfang's been worried out of her pelt, and so have I! We thought something had got you." He rolled his eyes.

"I can take care of myself; you worry too much." Cold replied, unperturbed. Freeze sighed, having given up talking sense into her brother. Her eyes brightened when she saw the prey lying at his feet. "Did you catch that in the forest?" She asked incredulously. Cold grinned, holding his head high. "Yep," he replied, his eyes shining with pride. Freeze smiled goodnaturedly. "Let's get back to the den," she said with a shiver. Cold picked up the dead mouse, and trekked through the snow with his sister towards their warm den.

Collapsing in the den, Cold was exhausted but fizzing with excitement. Freeze began grooming the snow from his fur. He forced himself to do the same to her. Redfang's eyes brightened at the sight of the prey and her adopted cub.

"Did you catch that in the forest?" She asked, shocked. The look in Cold's eyes told her everything. The vixen's expression changed from disbelief to pride. She smiled toothily. "I taught you well," Redfang said proudly. She then sank her teeth into the mouse, savoring the taste. With some effort, she drew away to leave some for her cubs. When they all had relatively full bellies, the threesome settled down in the warmth of the den to sleep.

Cold could hear his sister's slow, even breathing next to him, but he couldn't fall asleep. He was still thinking of the wildcats' offer. In his mind, the decision was already made. But something had to be done about Redfang and Freeze. He might be able to convince Freeze, but Redfang would be heartbroken. She wouldn't cope very well with his disappearance, and the wildcats would more than likely kill her. So there was only one solution. Tomorrow, he decided, he would put his plan into action.

**A/N:** This was mostly a filler chapter, but I promise the next one will be more exciting. Cold has a plan! Now the good stuff starts! But what are his intentions? Find out in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of crunching snow woke Cold the next morning. Blinking, he stretched and sat up. When the sound didn't stop, he got up to investigate. Cold hissed as a clump of snow hit him in the face.

"What was that about?" He snarled irritably. Freeze looked over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in realization.

"Sorry!" She apologized. "But we got snowed in last night, and I didn't want to wake you up." She continued digging. Cold started digging as well, forcing his way through the deep ice blanket. They were careful not to wake Redfang as well. Cold was getting annoyed; how much snow could there be! Suddenly his head broke the surface, and light streamed into the den, along with a small avalanche of snow. Freeze let out a small shriek as she was buried beneath the white pile. Cold let out an amused purr. His sister shook the snow from her pelt, glaring at him.

"I cleared the entrance," he told her cheerily. She huffed, flicking her tail in annoyance. Redfang raised her head, blinking against the bright sunlight.

"What's going on here?" The vixen asked drowsily. She shook her head, ruffling her russet-colored pelt, now fully awake. She stood and stretched, saying "Time for our morning hunt, cubs." Cold intercepted her on her way out. "I'll do it, mother, you get some rest." He told her. Redfang smiled at her adopted cub, already curling up again in her warm space.

Cold clambered out of the den, flicking his tail for Freeze to follow. She came, a suspicious expression on her light gray face. She caught up to him and began speaking.

"What's going on here?" Freeze asked suspiciously. Cold fixed his icy stare on her.

"I'll explain later," was his only reply, his cool expression giving away none of the excitement he felt.

Cold treated his foster mother better than ever that day. He went back into the forest and caught the fattest mice he could find. He groomed her pelt until it was sleek as ice. He pulled the pesky ice shards from between her pads from walking in the snow. And Freeze couldn't have been surer that something was up with her brother.

As the sun was setting, Redfang curled up in her space in the den as Cold groomed her pelt.

"You are a wonderful cub," she said drowsily, licking his face affectionately. Cold responded with a slight purr. When he finished, Redfang sighed contentedly, her belly comfortably full, her fur clean, and her nest warm. Cold sat back as she drifted off into peaceful sleep. When her breathing was slow and even, he prepared himself to go through with his plan. He sighed, blinking slowly.

"Redfang," he began, "thank you so much. For everything. You raised me and my sister as your own, even when we were not of your species." He paused. "For that I am grateful," he murmured, "very grateful. You looked past the fact that we were different, that we were alone. You will be remembered by us; always." He padded silently to Redfang's sleeping form. Crouching over her, he whispered one final "Thank you." And parted his jaws over her spine. He closed them in a split second, killing the vixen. Her body instantly stilled, never to move again. Cold exited the den for the last time, feeling nothing but triumph as he filled in the den with hard snow and earth. When it was filled in, Cold made sure that it was like nothing had ever been there. He glanced smugly at the red stone Flatface den; for it was the last time he would come here. Now for the second part of his plan.

Tasting the air, he picked up his sister's scent, and followed it. She was sitting on the fence separating the Flatface dens from the forest. He jumped up beside her. Freeze looked over at her brother, surprise in her sea green eyes. Cold wasted no time in telling her.

"Freeze, Redfang is dead." He said emotionlessly.

"What?"

"Yes. And we have the opportunity of a lifetime." Freeze was silent in shock. "We can go back to our own kind." She looked at him, astonished. "What do you mean?" She asked breathlessly.

"We are wildcats, Freeze. And we can live with them, with full bellies and a warm place to sleep. A place where we don't have to constantly look over our shoulders to make sure we're not about to be killed." Freeze looked confused and scared.

"You mean it, Cold?" She asked softly. "Yes," he replied in the same tone. She closed her eyes for a moment, as a chilling wind blew past the two cats. Looking up, there was a new fire in her eyes. He waited calmly for her answer, careful to keep his feelings under control.

"I'm ready." Freeze answered icily.

"Let's go," Cold said emotionlessly. They both jumped from the fence towards the white forest, their gray and silver pelts disappearing like wraiths into the snowy forest.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I was busy and the time got away from me. Lame excuse I know. -_- Now here's where things REALLY get interesting! Now here's the chapter!**

Cold walked silently next to his sister, trying to ignore the biting wind. His mind fizzed with anticipation about his new life. The occupants, the food, the language. The language. Cold then realized that Freeze knew nothing of the wildcats' language. He stopped suddenly; Freeze doing the same a few pawsteps later.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice slightly muffled by the snow-covered trees around them.

"You need to learn the wildcats' language," he meowed in catspeak. Freeze looked confused for a few seconds before trying it herself, like Cold predicted.

"What?" She looked surprised at herself. "Is this what you were talking about?" Cold smiled inwardly; she was learning quickly. "Yes," he mewed, "this is their language."

"You mean we can't speak fox anymore?" She mewed back. Cold nodded. Freeze looked slightly saddened, but her expression hardened. "Alright," was her only answer. They kept padding through the quiet forest.

Before they got very far, a challenging yowl split the air. A large golden tabby jumped from the bushes, fur fluffed up and lips drawn back in a snarl.

"What are you doing on our territory?" The tom snarled.

_(Back in the ThunderClan camp)_

_ Jayfeather found himself in a dark clearing. He looked around; the silence almost choking. A prickling feeling that he was being watched crept up his spine. Jayfeather's ears pricked as the ferns rustled behind him. He spun around. _This isn't StarClan,_ he thought worriedly. Suddenly, whispers assaulted his ears. It was like they were coming from all directions, but they were too faint to understand. Jayfeather was on the verge of panic when a cat with starry fur emerged from the murky shadows. She seemed to glide across the ground._

_ "Bluestar!" Jayfeather called in relief. But Bluestar's expression was grave._

_ "Listen, Jayfeather, for a storm is coming." She whispered. He took a step closer._

_ "Beware the cold one," she finished. Jayfeather felt himself falling. "Wait!" He yowled. "What do you mean?" He was falling, falling into the suffocating darkness. It reached for him like claws, dragging him down, down, down…_

Jayfeather woke with a start. He sat up, breathing heavily. He was alone in the medicine den, with the rest of the camp bustling around him. He could hear Brambleclaw's slow, even breathing from the warriors' den, Mousefur grumbling about damp moss and lazy apprentices, and the rustle of the thorn barrier as a hunting patrol returned with their catch. He was home. He didn't know what the dream meant, but got up to find Lionblaze and Dovepaw.

Both cats stood their ground against the huge golden tabby. Freeze immediately growled and barked threateningly, her lips drawn back in a snarl. But Cold simply sat down, his icy gaze fixed on the smaller, dove-gray she-cat next to him. She shifted uncomfortably beneath his unwavering stare, ruining the effect of her threatening crouch. Her fur flattened and she relaxed, much to the surprise of her mentor. The small she-cat took a slow step forward, almost unconsciously, her eyes wide, pupils almost completely dilated.

"Dovepaw!" The larger cat called out in alarm. Dovepaw appeared not to have heard him. She kept walking slowly forward in her strange trance. Not once did Cold or Dovepaw blink. When she was less than a tail-length from him, Cold broke the contact and leapt for her. The gray she-cat blinked confusedly, pupils returning to normal. She didn't have time to react before Cold pinned her to the ground, a paw against her neck, claws unsheathed. Dovepaw was shaking slightly in his hold, but wisely made no other movements. He looked over at the dumbstruck tom, who had relaxed in his shock.

"Really," said Cold icily, "there is no need to fight. Might I ask your name?" The golden tom seemed to recover from his shock. "I am Lionblaze of ThunderClan, and you have my apprentice, Dovepaw." He said levelly, though Cold could detect the slight tremble in his voice. "My name is Cold, and this is my sister Freeze. Freeze had relaxed once she knew her brother had the situation under control. "We are here for Cloudtail, was it? Yes; he offered us a place in your 'clan'" Lionblaze looked taken aback. "Did he?" Murmured the golden tom. After a few moments of consideration, he spoke again. "Release Dovepaw and we will take you to our camp." Cold nodded his head, releasing the terrified she-cat, who promptly scrambled to her mentor.

They padded through the forest at a brisk pace, the two rogues easily keeping pace with the ThunderClan warrior and apprentice. Finally they arrived at what appeared to be a large pit, full of cats. Cold was a bit disappointed at first, but reevaluated when he saw cats coming in and out of the walls. A wall of brambles blocked the entrance, along with a guard. Disregarding the thorn barrier, Cold surprised Lionblaze by scaling his way down the snowy wall of the hollow, followed by Freeze. Nearly every cat in the camp froze at the sight of them. The queens herded the kits into the nursery, blocking the entrance protectively.

Millie, who had been on her way to the fresh-kill pile, was shaking on her paws. Pure terror flooded her eyes; Cold's icy stare paralyzing her.

"Y-you…" She squeaked, terrified, and collapsed into a dead faint.

**A/N: Oooh, cliffhanger! I'm so evil XD Again, sorry for the wait. I just want to say thanks so much to RavenmoonReader486 and Purechaos4u for reviewing multiple times. Thanks so much and KEEP REVIEWING!**


	6. Chapter 6

Cats gaped at Millie's reaction to the newcomers. Graystripe immediately ran over to her, yowling for Jayfeather, who came running from the medicine den upon hearing.

"She'll be fine, Graystripe," assured Jayfeather, "she just fainted from shock." Graystripe looked immensely relieved.

"Thanks so much, Jayfeather," said Graystripe. "She should wake up shortly, just give her time," continued the medicine cat. After the tension eased, Firestar called a clan meeting.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he began, "as you can see, we have two newcomers to our clan." The clan looked slightly suspicious, muttering among themselves. Firestar kept going, silencing them. "They claim to have been offered a place in the clan by one of our warriors—"

"What?" Outraged yowls broke out from the crowd. Firestar raised his tail for silence, keeping calm. But to everyone's complete surprise, Cold took center stage. A huge growling bark, more like a roar, split the yowling. Every cat immediately fell silent. A few apprentices cringed, and even a couple warriors jumped. Cold bared his teeth at the now silent crowd of cats.

"You should show respect when your leader is addressing you!" He snarled. For a cat his size, he was surprisingly intimidating. His ice-blue eyes raked across the cats; most of them looked away instantly, only a few held his gaze for even a few seconds. Stepping to the front of the Highledge, Cold looked quite fearsome with his silver fur fluffed out and teeth bared. When no one dared to make a peep, he stepped back, regaining his icy calm demeanor. He nodded to Firestar, who looked completely shocked until Cold looked at him, when he seemed to snap out of it.

"As I was saying," continued Firestar, "these two, Coldkit and Freezekit, will be part of our clan." He cut to the chase of what everyone knew what was coming. The ThunderClan leader jumped down from Highledge, signaling the meeting's end. The newly named Coldkit and Freezekit followed suit. A cream-colored cat approached them cautiously. She brushed against Coldkit's pelt, purring. The silver tom didn't know what to think of the gesture, so he accepted it, but did not return it. The cream-furred she-cat gently herded them into the nursery, where they settled into the mossy nests.

"This is lots better than our old den," Freezekit whispered to her brother. She got only a nod in response. Cold was thinking about his decision to come here. He felt something he hadn't expected to feel: homesickness. Cold was starting to miss the old den. But then the memories of hunger and indignation came rushing back. He remembered why he had come here in the first place: to live a decent life, to make something of himself.

Jayfeather lay awake in the medicine den, the moonlight streaming into his nest in the rock cleft. He couldn't stop thinking about the prophecy Bluestar had delivered to him, and the two strangers joining the clan. He couldn't shake the awful feeling that had swept over him when they entered the camp. It was a bone-chilling cold feeling, like he would never feel warmth again, and just fade away in the freezing claws of it. Even now it made him shiver. Jayfeather still didn't know what the prophecy meant, but he was sure it wasn't good.

Coldkit awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming into the nursery. He stretched, his jaws gaping in a wide yawn. He nudged his sister's sleeping form. She lifted her head, still half-asleep.

"Get up, Freezekit, time for breakfast," said Cold impatiently. Freezekit slowly stood, blinking.

"Alright, let's go," she conceded. The two young cats walked past a sleeping Daisy, and into the camp. Coldkit took in the sight of the camp in motion with wide eyes. They saw three cats return through a wall of brambles with prey, along with two smaller cats, likely their 'apprentices'. Coldkit didn't like the look of the thorns in it, and neither did Freezekit, so they opted to scale the stone wall of the camp instead. Coldkit found it surprisingly easy, as did his sister. They were used to scaling the sheer vertical metal Flatface fences, so this was a break. Cloudtail stared with wide eyes at the sight of the two cats climbing the snowy stone wall.

After the shock wore off, the white warrior finally found his voice and managed an astonished mew. But by then, Coldkit and Freezekit had already reached the top and were heading out to hunt for their morning meal. Cloudtail darted through the thorn barrier to try to head them off, not bothering to answer Berrynose's call of "Hello."

Coldkit parted his jaws to taste for scents of prey. He detected a faint trace of mouse to the right. He flicked his tail to Freezekit, who was heading off in the opposite direction. Suddenly he remembered that his sister knew nothing of the proper hunting technique. He ran out in front of her. She looked surprised.

"What is it?" The light gray she-cat asked, flicking her tail in annoyance.

"You need to learn to hunt," Coldkit stated bluntly. Freezekit looked at him in confusion. "You'll scare the prey if you use our mother's technique. "Ok, so what do I do?" She asked, waiting for him to elaborate. He demonstrated by dropping into a hunting crouch. "Put your paws down lightly," he instructed, "and keep your tail still." Freezekit nodded, taking this in. "Then when you get close enough, pounce!" He leapt, landing neatly with his paws on a dry twig. She was already trying it out on another twig. He nodded approvingly when she performed the move correctly. They then headed out in their respective directions.

Coldkit padded silently through the snowy forest, following the scent trail. Suddenly he stopped short, ears pricked, at the sound of scuffling in the snow. He spied a vole, digging in the snow near the trunk of a tree. He dropped into the hunter's crouch, putting his paws down as lightly as possible. The vole continued its search, completely unaware that it was being hunted. Coldkit was only a tail-length from his prey now. Stifling his excitement, he stayed calm. He pounced, killing it before it could make a sound. Grinning savagely, Coldkit gulped down his prey, feeling comfortably full.

He decided to take something back to the cream-colored she-cat who had been so nice to them the previous night. He scented a squirrel nearby. He had seen them before in the place of the Flatfaces, but never tasted one before. Before long, Coldkit sighted it, bushy tail flipped up high. He crouched again, creeping forward. Just when he was getting close to it, his tail brushed a fern, and the squirrel bolted in terror. Coldkit shot out of the undergrowth after it, but a sharp squeal and rustle of the ferns made him stop short. He was about to attack, when a familiar gray she-cat emerged with the squirrel in her jaws.

"Freezekit!" Coldkit exclaimed, surprised to see his sister hunting so close. She set down the squirrel to answer.

"So did you get breakfast?" Freezekit inquired. Coldkit nodded, his eyes glowing with satisfaction. She responded with a purr. "This is turning out to be a good decision," Freezekit said quietly. Coldkit gave a satisfied purr. "I hoped it would," he responded in the same tone.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a rustling in the bracken. Both cats crouched threateningly and growled. A small, dusky-gray tom came out. His eyes went wide with relief.

"There you are!" He exclaimed. Coldkit struggled to remember the cat's name. "Duskpaw?" He asked, surprised at his sudden appearance. His eyes brightened.

"You remembered my name!"

"Yes, now what is going on?" He pressed the small cat for information.

"Cloudtail has been worried out of his pelt about you two! Kits aren't allowed to hunt."

Both siblings looked incredulous.

"Do you expect us to starve?" Freezekit asked, shocked. "Of course not!" said Duskpaw, appalled. "You can just get something from the fresh-kill pile.

"The what?" Duskpaw rolled his eyes. "We catch prey for the whole clan," he explained. "Queens, kits, and elders eat first. Apprentices and warriors catch food for those who can't hunt for themselves." A look of understanding formed on the two former rogues' faces. Coldkit picked up the squirrel and started heading back to the camp, following his own scent trail. Freezekit was not far behind, along with Duskpaw.

After Duskpaw's panic had settled at seeing his two companions jump into the camp over the edge, they were brought to Firestar. The ThunderClan leader was shocked as the two young cats recounted their tale. When he recovered from the shock, Firestar dismissed Duskpaw, to talk to the two former rogues in private.

"It seems I have greatly misjudged your ages and skill," he began. Coldkit didn't move a muscle, and neither did his sister. "So I have decided to confer with the senior warriors on apprenticing you both." A brief look of shock crossed both kits' faces. Firestar was quite surprised at the reaction he got. Most kits would be jumping with joy to be apprenticed early. These two acted like warriors already.

"Yes, Firestar," they answered in unison. "Then you are dismissed," said Firestar, slightly shocked. They exited the leader's den. The ginger tom was certainly surprised. The two kits looked maybe seven moons at the most, and already they behaved like warriors. Just where did these cats come from, and what were they really capable of?

Coldkit sighed, collapsing into his nest. The slender crescent moon shone brightly overhead. The rest of his day had consisted of sleeping, helping the apprentices with their tasks, and practicing his hunting in secret with Freezekit. He looked up at the moon, sighing. Coldkit was glad it wasn't full. He didn't want to see Darksoul tonight. With that thought, Coldkit closed his eyes, falling asleep under the watchful eye of the moon.

**A/N: Much longer chapter this time. Hope it makes up for the wait! Wow, Coldkit is quite the hunter! Will he be an apprentice early? Will Jayfeather figure out the mysterious prophecy? Who is Darksoul? Find out in the next chapter! :D Please review and tell me what you think! As always, constructive criticism is welcome, flames are not. Thanks for reading. **


	7. Chapter 7

Coldpaw walked proudly through the snowy forest behind his new mentor. He and his sister had been made apprentices just before sunhigh. Tail held high, he entered the clearing with Squirrelflight.

"Ok, Coldpaw," she began, "since you already know a good bit about hunting, we'll start with some battle moves. I would take you on a tour of the territory, but there's too much snow right now." Coldpaw grinned, taking a defensive crouch. Squirrelflight did the same, ready for his attack. He charged her, snarling viciously. She tried to leap to the side, but Coldpaw was expecting this, and twisted his body to the side to catch her. He clung to her shoulder, clawing his way onto her back, and digging his claws in. She yowled in pain as he sunk his teeth into her ear. She rolled onto her back, crushing Coldpaw beneath her larger body. Coldpaw pushed frantically against her spine with his hind claws as her fur and weight suffocated him. Suddenly the weight lifted, and the silver tom leapt to his feet, growling with his fur fluffed up. Squirrelflight was standing a few tail-lengths away, her ear and back bleeding, panting along with him.

"Stop-"she panted. "That's (pant) enough." Coldpaw looked at her, puzzled, although he did not relax his position. Was this some kind of trick? When his mentor had regained her breath, she said "I probably should have taught you the rules of training."

"What rules?" asked the small silver tom. "This is how our mother always trained us."

"It's different here; we keep our claws sheathed so we don't hurt each other." Coldpaw thought that was a bit ridiculous; how were you going to learn if you weren't serious? "It's alright, though, you're new," she continued. "Now let me show you some basic moves…"

Jayfeather was busy organizing herbs when a cat entered the medicine den. The voice of a small she-cat piped up.

"What are you doing?" She asked. Jayfeather had to think a moment to remember who it was. It was Freezepaw, he realized, one of the new clan members.

"Herbs," he replied blandly. He could feel surprise emanate from the she-cat's pelt. "Oh," she said, slightly disappointed. "I didn't know you were busy; I thought maybe you could explain this whole 'clan' thing to me." She started to walk out. Jayfeather looked up in surprise. No one ever came to him to ask about anything, except for medicine or when Firestar asked for advice. "No, wait, I can talk to you," he called as she was leaving. Freezepaw turned around, her pelt flashing with gratitude. She took a seat near Jayfeather and his pile of herbs.

"I can explain just about anything you ask about clan life, but where is your mentor?" Jayfeather asked curiously. Freezepaw shrugged. "I don't know; Cloudtail might be hunting or something. He just told me not to follow him." Jayfeather was slightly suspicious at the white warrior's actions, but also disappointed for neglecting his new apprentice. He had her sort herbs with him as he explained ThunderClan to her in detail. "So where did you and Coldpaw come from?" asked Jayfeather as he finished his lecture on clan life. He could feel dark memories stir in the she-cat's mind. She quickly pushed the worst ones away.

"Somewhere you never want to go," she said softly, pain evident in her voice. Jayfeather could feel pain emanating from the she-cat, but she covered it with anger. "He'll pay…" She murmured, almost unconsciously. "What do you mean?" prompted the medicine cat gently. Rage made her fur bristle. "That traitor!" she spat. "He wouldn't have protected us anyway."

Jayfeather was suddenly thrown into a memory.

_The small she-cat stood, bristling with rage, across the alley from the huge male fox. The rough stone Flatface dens against the gray frost-leaf sky gave the desolate place an eerie look._

_ "You will pay for deserting us!" she spat. He had deserted her family, killed her sister, and now stolen their food! The fox grinned savagely. _

_ "And just how are you going to do that, little Freeze?" he asked tauntingly. "I'm going to kill you." She said dangerously. She began to take slow, deliberate steps forward. Skullface began to back up. There was something about the she-cat that was frightening. Cold hate showed in her sea-green eyes as she approached. The big male fox growled as she steadily came forward._

_ Suddenly there was a screech of pure hatred, and a red haze clouded the gray cat's vision as she tore into the fox she had once thought of as 'father'. With each slash and bite she yowled. _

"_For Redfang! For Cold! FOR FROST!" When she finally backed off, all that was left of Skullface was a headless bloody body. Freeze stepped back, panting. "I have avenged you, my sister," she murmured. A savage, demented grin broke out across her face. Blood stained her legs and muzzle, dripping onto the cold snow. She began to laugh, softly at first, slowly increasing in volume, until it was almost maniacal. _

_ A dark shadow began to weave its way around her, whispering in her ears._

_ "It felt good, didn't it," the voice hissed into her ear. "Yes…" Freeze said almost unconsciously. "Surrender yourself to me…" it purred, "…and I will lead you to your heart's deepest desires." She wanted so badly to give in to its wheedling, to have all the power in the world. Suddenly an outside feeling of intense shame washed into the memory, but it wouldn't be pushed away. Freeze came back to her senses, horror showing on her features. "What… What have I done…?" she whispered in horror, looking from the mutilated body to the blood staining her legs and the snow around her. It made her feel almost sick. "No!" she exclaimed, freeing herself from the shadowy tendrils, now in the shape of a cat sitting in front of her. It was like the inky black cat was made from a thick liquid, constantly melting but repairing itself at the same pace. Its eyes were pure, piercing white; almost mesmerizingly so. It got up, beginning to walk toward her, wherever it touched turning to ash. "No! I won't join you, Darksoul!" she cried out in desperation. Darksoul hissed, realizing defeat. "You may have escaped this time, but not again!" it hissed before melting away into the shadows. Freeze ran blindly back to the den where her brother and mother were, desperate to escape the awful thing she had done. _The intense shame hit again like a tidal wave, and the memory closed.

Jayfeather was thrown back into the real world. Shame pulsed from Freezepaw's pelt, and he could feel her shaking. He found himself doing the same.

"I'm sorry you saw that," she murmured.

"I understand now…" Jayfeather replied in the same tone, brushing against her flank in a comforting gesture. They both stood like that for what seemed like an unknowable amount of time; until Cloudtail's voice sounded throughout the camp.

"Freezepaw, time for training!" Freezepaw jumped up. She looked up at the medicine cat, admiration pulsing from her.

"Thank you, Jayfeather."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: OMG, it's been over a month since I updated! SO SORRY about the wait, but Darth Writer's Block invaded my head. Not to mention the gazillion papers my English teacher assigned ****.But I am not dead, so don't worry! ^^u**

(2 weeks have passed since last chapter)

Freezepaw walked silently next to her brother, their mentors a few pawsteps ahead, as they patrolled the ShadowClan border, renewing the scent marks as they went. It was dead silence as the patrol padded along the border. Coldpaw suddenly darted into the bracken, returning with a dead mouse. The patrol stopped and dispersed to hunt for themselves. He flicked his tail for Freezepaw to join him. The gray she-cat padded silently to her brother. Things had been tense since a border dispute with WindClan had left Whitetail, a WindClan warrior, dead. Coldpaw thought WindClan had overreacted quite a bit. Death was always a lingering threat, and he and Freezepaw had learned early in life never to doubt that. It was unclear which warrior had killed Whitetail, but WindClan blamed the whole of ThunderClan. They had been very cautious since then around their shared border.

"Alright, let's go," called the voice of Cloudtail from a fern up ahead. The two apprentices finished the mouse and hurried to catch up. Coldpaw was only half-paying attention to scents of prey in the forest; he had plans for today.

Entering the camp, through the thorn barrier like the others, the silver tom scanned the camp for a certain gray she-cat. Millie was nowhere to be seen. _She must be out on patrol,_ thought Coldpaw. He knew Graystripe would not like it, but if his feelings had to be sacrificed, so be it. He took a mouse from the fresh-kill pile and sat down to eat it. He had just finished the last bite when Millie's patrol entered through the thorn barrier. Rising to his paws, the former rogue darted into the forest, following the familiar path back to the place of the Flatfaces. He knew the place he was going very well; he had visited it many times, and it was always reliable.

He passed the familiar red stone Flatface den without a backwards glance, his paws making no sound on the frozen snow. Coldpaw turned down a familiar alley, slinking past rusty silver cans and piles of stinking garbage.

Finally he came upon what he had been searching for. Coldpaw approached the inky black puddle with caution. He never let his guard down with things like this. The black pool was completely still and smooth like glass. Fully extending his claws, Coldpaw carefully dipped them into the tar-like substance until they were coated with a layer of ebony poison.

The silver tom smiled, making his way through the forest. Parting his jaws to taste the air, he picked up Millie's faintly kittypet scent, silently gliding through the forest in her direction. He spotted her through a fern, conversing with Birchfall. He padded from his hiding place to the two cats.

"Excuse me, I need to have a word with Millie," he said calmly.

Birchfall looked mildly surprised. "Ok," he said, "I'll just go back to camp. Millie, you and Coldpaw can meet me there." Birchfall padded away towards the camp, leaving Millie and Coldpaw alone in the snowy forest.

Millie looked tense, her eyes gleaming with anxiety. "W-what do you want with me?" she asked, frightened, as the silver tom began to slowly circle her.

He smiled wickedly, ice-blue eyes glinting dangerously. "You know me, Millie, and I know you. You know too much."

The she-cat looked terrified now, fur fluffed up, looking desperately for an escape route. "I-I know what you are!" she nearly yowled. "I'll tell them! I'll tell them if you don't leave me alone!"

Coldpaw was still grinning as he advanced on Millie. "We can't have you going around with that little bit of information, now can we?" He gave a hoarse laugh. "You should see your face. Your terror amuses me, but I'm afraid it's time to put an end to this little game."

Millie gasped in terror. "You-you wouldn't, Cold! You wouldn't!" she said almost hysterically.

"Oh, but I would," Coldpaw replied, grinning almost maniacally. In the blink of an eye he leapt for her, raking his claws down her shoulder. Millie shrieked, partly from pain and partly from shock and fear. She took off into the forest, and Coldpaw did not give chase. _She won't last long with that poison in her,_ he thought smugly. He carefully rinsed his paws in the stream near the training hollow, making sure to get all of the deadly black liquid off. He padded back to camp with a small but triumphant grin. His secret was safe.

**A/N: I know this chapter was shorter than usual, but I promise I have plans for the next chapter. It will be up sooner than this one. Really. **** I hope you liked it, and sorry to you Millie fans out there!**


	9. Chapter 9

Coldpaw walked casually back into camp, not at all perturbed by what he had just done. He dropped the mouse he had caught on the way back onto the fresh-kill pile and headed to the apprentices' den to look for his sister.

He was intercepted by Sandstorm. "Coldpaw!" she exclaimed, relieved. "You can't just go disappearing like that! You're not a warrior yet!" Although the tan she-cat was trying to scold her apprentice, she sounded more relieved to see that he was ok more than anything else.

"I'm sorry, Sandstorm, I just noticed that the fresh-kill pile was running low, so I went out to catch something."

Her expression softened. "That's what hunting patrols are for," she reminded him. "Next time, don't go alone; the forest can be dangerous, especially if you're not entirely familiar with it."

The silver tom simply nodded, his mind on other things. Just as they were about to join Lionblaze and Dovepaw for a training session, a patrol burst in through the thorn barrier, yowling. Brambleclaw and Firestar hurried to meet the patrol, consisting of Cinderheart, Ivypaw, Birchfall, and Icecloud.

"What happened?" asked Brambleclaw concernedly.

"It's Millie!" gasped Cinderheart. "She's dead!"

All the cats within hearing range froze, moss and fresh-kill dropping from paws and mouths.

"WHAT? How?" Graystripe yowled, barreling into the conversation, not wanting to believe what he was hearing.

"We don't know," said Birchfall quietly. "There were claw marks on her shoulder, but nothing else." There was a moment of shocked silence.

"Graystripe, come with me and the rest of the patrol. We need to bring her body back here. Tell Jayfeather to be ready when we get back," said Firestar, trying to maintain a sense of calm. The patrol, with the addition of Firestar and Graystripe, ran back into the forest to retrieve Millie's body.

"Coldpaw," said Sandstorm distractedly, "tell Jayfeather to have his supplies ready." The apprentice silently got up and padded toward the medicine den.

He was grinning on the inside. Now that Millie was dead, there was no one else who knew about his secret, not even Freezepaw. He had reached the medicine den and was just standing at the entrance, until Jayfeather's mew broke into his thoughts.

"Do you have a message or are you just the moss ball I needed?" he asked dryly.

Coldpaw ignored the comment. "Millie's dead." He said softly, trying to act saddened by the news.

The medicine cat looked taken aback. "Oh. I'll get my herbs then. But I'll try to find the cause of her death first." He started to walk away. "Tell Graystripe I'm sorry when you get the chance," he said, before disappearing into the medicine den.

The silver apprentice nodded sadly, padding away with his tail drooping. Coldpaw could do a very convincing act when he needed to. Although his whiskers drooped, he was laughing on the inside. His plan had gone without a hitch, and Millie was out of the way. Now he was one step closer to—

"NOOOOOOOO!" A grief-stricken yowl shattered the quiet of the forest. Graystripe burst into yowls of anguish. He collapsed on the ground next to his mate's body, burying his nose in her cold fur, trying to find a last trace of life-giving warmth. There was none. His legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed like jelly onto the ground, sides heaving with sorrow.

Brightheart quickly padded over to his shaking form. "Stop that!" she hissed. "You're scaring the kits." Her tone softened. "It'll be alright," she said, pressing her muzzle into his fur in a comforting gesture.

While Jayfeather was examining Millie's body, Firestar called a clan meeting. "Cats of ThunderClan," he began, "we have lost a fine warrior. We will mourn Millie's loss for many moons." There were soft mews of agreement among the crowd. "But we have an important issue at hand. Millie's body was found near the ShadowClan border, with only a scratch on her shoulder."

Surprised meows and angry hisses were exchanged. "Well, what happened to her?" rasped Mousefur.

"We don't know," continued the ThunderClan leader, "but Jayfeather is examining her body as we speak. "This will not go unsaid at the next Gathering," assured Firestar, "but we cannot place blame on ShadowClan until we have proof."

"ShadowClan has blood on their fur!" spat Bumblestripe, "We should attack them now! Who else could it have been?" His fur was fluffed up in anger, lips drawn back in a snarl. Yowls of agreement rose in volume. Firestar raised his tail for silence.

"We cannot, and_ will not_, attack ShadowClan until we are positive they are responsible," he said firmly, eyeing Bumblestripe. The flame-colored tom jumped down from Highledge, ending the meeting.

The rest of the clan dispersed, murmuring to each other. Freezepaw padded across the clearing to her brother. "I can't believe Millie just died," whispered the gray she-cat.

"Our life was more brutal than this, Freezepaw," Coldpaw reminded her. "You should be able to handle this."

She looked surprised. "I wasn't complaining," she said. "I just thought things might be different here."

The silver tom simply padded away without answering. _What's up with him? _She thought, narrowing her eyes. She noticed cats were crowded around Millie's lifeless body. The gray she-cat had never seen the death rituals of the clans before, so she was curious.

As Freezepaw approached the still form, a scent hit her nose, strange yet familiar. She didn't recognize it, but the green-eyed she-cat was sure she had smelled it before. She padded closer, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Graystripe. _Where have I smelled that before?_ She puzzled, trying to connect the scent to the faded memory. She pressed her nose into Millie's cold gray fur, which smelled of herbs and simply… cold. Cold. Realization hit Freezepaw like a snowball. She knew that scent. _No… It couldn't be… Could it?_


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Part of it is being busy with school, and the other part is just sheer laziness. I'm trying to get back to fanfiction, but honors English is taking a lot of my time, with the essays and presentations and tests… :/ I just haven't had the time, and writer's block is taking its toll.**

Freezepaw backed away, wide-eyed. _No, _she thought. _He wouldn't…_ The gray she-cat had only one thing on her mind now. She looked around for her brother. He didn't seem to be in camp. Freezepaw darted into the forest, trying to find a trace of her brother's scent.

Everything was a blur except for the path in front of her. She had to know. Her disbelief had to be proven right. Finally the familiar silver pelt came into view. Coldpaw was sitting with his back turned to her, looking out over the moor that was WindClan's territory. Freezepaw stopped short, her paws sinking deep into the snow.

Coldpaw did not move, but simply continued to stare into space. The gray she-cat came up behind him, flicking his ear with her tail. He did not respond immediately, but slowly turned his head to look at his sister. The silver tom had a strange look in his eyes, so unlike his normal cold gaze that Freezepaw had to blink to make sure she had the right cat. "Can you see it, Freezepaw?" he asked simply.

Freezepaw was confused, momentarily forgetting about her burning question. "Can I see what?" she asked, squinting to look across the moor.

The icy calm returned to Coldpaw's eyes in an instant, causing Freezepaw to question whether it had ever really left. "You will see it soon enough…" he murmured, looking through half-closed eyes at the ground.

"Coldpaw, what do you mean?" she asked, suddenly wanting to clear the fog of vagueness that surrounded her brother's words.

His head snapped up to face her. "Soon." He said, looking her directly in the eye. His reply was simple, but for some reason it sent chills through the she-cat's body. "Let's get back to camp; I'm sure the clan will be missing us," he said with finality and stood, stretching.

Freezepaw followed mutely, her mind spinning with questions. The gray she-cat was so entranced with this new mystery that she completely forgot about confronting Coldpaw about Millie's mysterious death.

Back at camp it was silent in mourning for Millie. Graystripe seemed to be taking it the hardest, his eyes dull with grief as he lay curled in his nest. The gray warrior had been excused from patrols for the day, giving him time to grieve for his lost mate.

Coldpaw immediately broke off from his sister, heading straight for Firestar's den. Freezepaw found this strange, making a mental note to talk to him in the apprentices' den that night. She had just lie down to give herself a wash when she heard the now-familiar yowl from the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

Cats emerged from their den at Firestar's yowl, and Freezepaw slowly padded over with them. She was surprised to see Coldpaw sitting next to the ginger tom with a small but triumphant smile on his face. The rest of ThunderClan sat expectantly beneath the Highledge, waiting for the news. "One of our newest apprentices, Coldpaw, has discovered something that could be very important to the safety of our clan." He stepped aside. "Coldpaw, will you tell the clan what you have found?"

The silver apprentice stepped forward. "Certainly, Firestar," he replied.

"Cats of ThunderClan," he began, "you all know of the unfortunate and mysterious death of one of our warriors. Millie was found dead in the forest with only a scratch on her shoulder. I have found her killers!" Yowls of shock and rage exploded from the cats in the crowd.

"I scented a WindClan patrol," he continued, "so I stopped to listen to what they were saying. I heard them gloating over the ease of murdering a ThunderClan _kittypet_." He spat the last word like it was poison on his tongue.

More enraged yowls burst from the crowd. "We should go teach WindClan a lesson on just how sharp our 'kittypet' claws are!" snarled Cloudtail, fur bristling with rage.

"Calm down, hothead!" Jayfeather broke in irritably. "There was no trace of WindClan scent on her body; how can we accuse them?"

"It's obvious they would have disguised their scent!" snapped Dustpelt. "Those mangy fleabags! I knew we couldn't trust Onestar to keep his warriors out of ThunderClan territory!" Yowls of agreement rose even louder from the crowd of cats.

"They could have rolled in a patch of forest to disguise their scent, then murdered Millie and slipped back to WindClan territory before anyone could say 'mouse'!" said Bumblestripe angrily.

Before any more yowls could further rile the rest of the clan, Firestar stepped in. "Silence!" he yowled over the angry screeching. "We still have the problem of how WindClan, _if_ it was WindClan, managed to kill a healthy cat with only one scratch. There were no fatal wounds on her body, and very little blood was in her fur and on the ground."

This seemed to stump them for a moment, as there was a suspicious, thoughtful silence. "But there's still what Coldpaw said!" said Cloudtail. "He heard that WindClan patrol with his own ears!"

"This still doesn't add up!" Brambleclaw cut in exasperatedly. "By the marks on her body, Millie shouldn't be dead in the first place!"

Coldpaw bristled, whirling to face the dark tabby warrior with a hiss. "Are you calling me a liar?" he spat, eyes burning with a cold fire. "I heard what I heard, and WindClan all but confessed!"

Suddenly the dark tabby's eyes blazed with an uncharacteristic rage. "You lying, traitorous rogue!" he snarled with all the malice of his father, Tigerstar. With his fur fluffed up and claws unsheathed, he snarled and launched himself at Coldpaw. The entire clan was frozen as the smaller cat's ice-blue eyes were lit with the same fire, and he leapt with a feral snarl to meet Brambleclaw in midair.

**A/N: Hope you really liked it ;) I've already started on the next chapter, so it won't be a cliffhanger for too long. (At least, that's how I planned it.) Please tell me what you think!**


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